Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the common ailments of the bowel (intestines) and affects an estimated 15% of people in the US. Other names for IBS include, but are not limited to, spastic colon, spastic colitis, and mucous colitis.
IBS may be due to the abnormal function of the muscles of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract or the nerves controlling the organs. The abnormal function of the nervous system in IBS may occur in a gastrointestinal muscular organ, the spinal cord, or the brain. The abnormalities may occur in the sensory nerves, the motor nerves, or at processing centers in the intestine, spinal cord, or brain. Normal activities, such as stretching of the small intestine by food, may give rise to abnormal sensory signals that are sent to the spinal cord and brain, where they are perceived as pain. Abnormal commands through the motor nerves may also produce a painful spasm (contraction) of the muscles. Therefore, IBS may be due to sensory dysfunction, motor dysfunction, or both sensory and motor dysfunction.
IBS normally causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc. IBS may not lead to more serious conditions in most patients, but it is a source of chronic pain, fatigue and other symptoms. It increases a patient's medical cost and may contribute to work absenteeism. The high prevalence of IBS in conjunction with increased costs may produce a disease with a high societal cost. It is also regarded as a chronic illness and can dramatically affect the quality of a sufferer's life.
Thus, there exists a need for an effective and safe treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.